Hey all, welcome back to my blog. They say when a thought or an idea wouldn’t leave you, then you must use or share it as it may help others. This is what I hope to do in writing this blog as it has cause me a few sleepless nights. My aim is not to impose any opinion on you or to disbelieve what you already believe but to help you critically evaluate the believes and practices that you see around you. To reflect and/or question its benefits (if any) and also look at its disadvantages, especially for the those accused and the child and or young accused and/or victims in the situations.
This topic of WITCH HUNT or WITCHCRAFT is a topic I have been wanting to speak about for several months, at least the early months of first COVID lockdown after re-watching a video I once saw but didn’t pay attention to. It took long to bring this topic to light because I was afraid or speaking without knowledge, fear directed by culture and fear or speaking against my God. Therefore, I took my time, prayed about it and asked God if it is something I could speak about. I would say just one month or so ago, I got my answer and instructions on how and hence why I am here to writing about it. My first instinct is to do a video about it but since I am not yet confident, I will take the comfort and safety of blogging to write as unlike video, the people that will read or view this will be people that have interest in the issue and hopefully, gain a new or an insight into it and I hope put any advice or knowledge they gain into use. I will try and refrain from speaking of my opinion and believe in this blog issue as I thoroughly want people to reflect within and not be influenced by my believe. But what I will do is simply to share lessons learnt.
The focus on this blog is to look from advocate for the needs of the children involved whilst at the same time exercising empathy to their parents. I also help to perhaps shed a light in the cultural and maybe religious practices that influences the attitude towards the issue of witchcraft. I will be putting links to different videos that helps in explaining and/or capturing my thoughts or videos on this topic. But I would like to start from the beginning or my memories into the issues of African Witchcraft and its effect on the children.
AFRICAN CHILD WITCHES AND WIZARDS
My first story first began a child that was under 10 years old. During a period, a woman in my village as I heard joined a witchcraft group involved in the Marine Spirit World. Her reason for joining I didn’t and still didn’t know but the news spread like wildfire across the village especially in my kindred and many children like me were advised not to visit this woman’s house or eat from her home. I believe for the fear of being poisoned, possessed or bewitched by the woman and her children (possibly). But for whatever reason they may have, I remember feeling sad about this but also curious. I was sad, because this same woman is a mother of my friend. I was curious because the different things that I heard the woman had in her house to enable her witchcraft practice, including tortoise was intriguing, and since I haven’t seen one before I wanted to see it.
One day, I don’t know how but I walked into a conversation my older cousin was having with another person and she was saying that she wanted to visit to see the things including tortoise that this woman may have in her house. I quickly volunteered to go with her not just because I wanted to know if the things being said are true but because I wanted to see my friend.
Long story short, we visited, we checked out the house (backyard) to see if we can see any evidence of what people were saying. Truth be told, I didn’t see anything that could indicate witchcraft or any strange objects or animal (s). What I saw was my friend and her family having fun, carrying out their daily tasks and watching TV programme or a movie. I was also offered snacks by my friend who politely asked what I would like to be offered. I did in fact consume what I was offered and had drink watched TV, laughed with my friend, played with her and her siblings before going back to my home with my cousin. Her mother was not around.
My actions did not mean that I was being disobedient to the advice given, but I would like to think that I felt comfortable and safe enough to do all the things I did. I am equally not going to discredit the accusation levelled against the mother as with things in small town, news of such often have some credibility to it. I can tell you that whatever the mother did no matter how many years ago it been, has not being disassociate from her or her children (talk about sins of parents). This is because, not long ago, I was telling someone about this friend of mine and notwithstanding that this person didn’t come from or raised in my village, the person was knowledgeable of the friend’s mother’s action and associated this to her to aid her memory of my friend. I will reflect on the lessons I learnt from this experience but first, let me tell you about the issue or video that brought me to this topic.
Few years ago, I came across a video of a witch woman feeding a very skinny (bonny) child. I actually didn’t pay attention to it as I thought it is one of those videos that shows how a foreign aid workers are saving hungry African children. The adverts of this types have become very saturated and standardised that I like most people have become numbed to them. The title of the video at the time, didn’t promote it to be different either. But thanks to YouTube browse suggestions during COVID, I came across the video again: this time the title caught my interest. It reads; “Aid Worker Saves Nigerian Boy Accused Of Being A Witch”. This video is on AJ+ YouTube video platform and the link of the video is below and the description would be as well.
The video showed a two year old boy, who had no father and mother and was being purposefully starved to death as he was accused to be a witch. This video brought back memories to me, not just of the story I told but the stories I heard through others’ conversations and music. The stories are often surround how a child who through tragedy lost their parents to death either in a car accident or one misfortune or the other, become orphans or are accused of being a witch or wizard. A child of misfortune and because of this become abandoned, mistreated and or taken as slaves or maids, even as early as 6 years old and some are intentionally deprived to fend for themselves or left for death. In more recent times, videos have shown that some are being killed all in the name of witchcraft. Link to video
This video makes me sad because what you realise is that it is not just the children that go through this issue when accused of being a witch. But many adults especially the elderly have suffered because of this issue. They are accused of being witches when their children are not progressing in life, when a tragedy happens to their children, husbands. Whilst the video mentioned of a male, this issue is often suffered most by the females and rarely the males though there are many male wizards just like their female counterpart. I am not by any means suggesting picking sides but to let you know that there is often bias in this situation. The issue of witchcraft, evil spiritual manipulation, have not just killed many people but have destroyed many family and neighbour relationships in the world especially in Africa. It has left many paranoid of their family members especially the extended, their neighbours and stopped some from returning to their homes on a baseless and unproven fear motivated by this issue.
I am not by any means promoting witchcraft or sorcery of any kind as I stand and condemn all evil. Whilst I understand, believe and now know that there is evil manipulation of this kind, what I am greatly disturbed by is that there are those that seek to destroy children’s lives by these accusations. The rate that I am observing that children all over African are being segregated, isolated and killed all in the name of eliminating witchcraft is bewildering to me and the fact that in modern day no matter how learned most African’s are, there is still a deep sense of fear and believe about the issues highlighted here.
Religious effect on witchcraft in Africa
Perhaps the most harmful practice of witchcraft in Africa is those of prophets. I say so, as I would like to think that a prophet is one that sees and prophesies what is happening, advice on how to turn from evil or achieve good whatever the case may be, than one that kills in a name of solution to solve a problem. Vulnerable Children are continually being accused or identified as witches or wizards and taken to one house of prayer to another seeking for deliverance. If you dear to attend or mistakenly cross path or enter a prophet or prophetess place then their solution may be to destroy as the video titled “Dispatches: Return To Africa's Witch Children | Extreme Christianity Documentary | Documental”, which can be found on the ‘Reel Truth Documentaries’ shows. Many of us as African’s may feel uncomfortable watching these video but the reality is still present.
Please note that I am not saying there are no child witches, as I know there are. But remember that very often than not, it is an adult witchcraft that initiate them. The sometime last month, I was listening to video someone sent to me about dreams and interpretation that pastor Dr. K Olukoya was giving on dreams. In the video sent, he spoke of a family who faced various challenges from losing their finances and other life issues. He said that the daughters of this family were witches and confessed to their parents that they were the causes of their problems after revealing themselves as witches. I was left thinking to myself that as a parent and you hear your child say these to you, what would you think of them. How would you treat them after. As an African child, I would like to assume that the first place the child will be taken to is to church for deliverance.
This brings me to the issue of church and how it handles this issue. There is no place in the world especially in Africa that you will not see a billboards, leaflet and other resources as well as people informing you to come to their deliverance prayer session or conference. This brings me to a deliverance ministry that I once attended with my mother, one of the things that transpired to me was that at times people were not falling because the Holy Spirit hit them, but because they were pushed forcefully by the deliverer. Another one I went to, I heard a crippled man was healed and because he didn’t come to say thank you or show himself approved to the deliverers, his miracle reversed. Even as a child of about 9-10 years old if not younger, I was perplexed by this and was asking myself if God takes back his blessings or healing because a person didn’t say thanks. Perhaps due to the great number of people in the place, which were possibly in thousands, there was difficulty in getting to the podium to be announced. This crusade was held by a very big and popular deliverance and Healing ministry that travels to African for their sessions, but owners are from America.
I believe the church has a huge part to play in the way some issues are viewed especially the issue of witchcraft. Jesus through his ministry showed how these issues should be treated. I have read through New Testaments of how he and his disciples dealt with this issue. These are the things I observed:
· There was no shaming of those afflicted by such issues.
· There was no condemnation to these people.
· There was no shaming of the parents, family members neither was their condemnation.
· Jesus chose life of the person possessed over animals.
Him and his disciples as well as apostles who delivered focused on the problem (I.e., the devil) and not the child or person.
Jesus casted the demon away from the man and not the man. Paul and Silas casted out the demon in the female slave and not the girl. The key here is not focus on the problem and not the person since it is the evil or devil afflicting the child or using the for evil and not the other way. Equally, they were brought for healing and deliverance not for death. There was no required of any material, money from the people that brought their children or others for healing and deliverance all that was required is faith. Where the victim could not stand for themselves or speak in faith, their advocators faith was sufficient.
Jesus didn’t heal those accused of demon possession but those that were actually possessed. It takes a spiritual mind and eyes to understand and identify them. However, by their words, activities etc, you if in the righteous of God and in Holy Spirit filled will know and see evil of witchcraft of nature, if God permits.
Finally, Jesus and his disciples and apostles only SPOKE WORDS of HEALING and DELIVERANCE and their words brought forth what they professed. Where things like handkerchiefs or oils for example, were blessed, they were blessed without cost as the only cost was faith in God through Jesus Christ.
This is why I write this blog as I am continually seeing and hearing some barbaric, unhealthy and ungodly practices of deliverance being offered. My advice is to analyse these practices carefully. When you hear a child being accused of witchcraft, ask the child if they actually know what it is. As most of these children are socialised and coerced to believe that they are so. I have never seen anyone prove witchcraft or deliver someone by putting harmful object in their mouth. Since witchcraft is of spiritual nature, how then can you test it by physics alone. The only thing you see is the physical manifestation of the spirit and perhaps the material (physical, instance) that enables the spiritual to manifest. Please let’s stop killing our children by listening and following wrong advice and ungodly people, cults and demonic organisations that may pose themselves as ‘CHURCH’ or religious. Church being the body of Christ doesn’t kill its members but nourishes its members and bring them closer to God.
Disbelieve in their existence and others alike, is in itself a believe. From what I have come to know in my later age, people that dissuade and pose not to be aware or knowledgeable of evil practices like that of witchcraft, are involved in it themselves and only try to cover up.
CULTURAL PRACTICES AND WITCHCRAFT
Another area, possibly the final area that I would like to touch on the issue is of maintaining unhelpful traditions. I say this because, once again, I watched a documentary about killing of twins in a country in Africa. In a region in this country, there was still a practice of twin killing because they bring bad luck to them. What was interesting about the documentary was their reason fro maintaining such tradition. The elders when asked, told the interpreter that there was a time in the village or region when there was war (I believe) between them and other people. A woman who had twin children wasn’t able to take them for one reason or the other and then they or she went back to take them, their people were captured, and many killed and because of this then they attributed their misfortune to twin and thus commenced the killing twins.
Another thing that might be of your interest in that there is a woman that rescues some twins and look after them and there was a medical doctor treating the village of illness. What was interesting about this is that the medical doctor himself is a twin from this community and was treating them. He was adopted and saved by a Samaritan from the country and trained him to become a doctor.
In all these what I see is fear in different kinds
· Fear of the unknown
· Fear of what was
· Fear of letting go
· Fear of disobeying ancestors
· Fear of other.
Finally, I also sense that there is an element of sorrow from the community members and even the elder. This made me empathise with them. Why may you ask? It is because it could be that these same elders have lost their children to this same practice and possibly there may be a case of if I did it, then others must. Then there was a since of pride rooted in shame if it is to be that what they have believed for so long no longer or never held truth.
In some of these videos we have seen that these children are offered up as blood sacrifice by dome deceptive and evil native doctors or witches and wizards who murder these children to feed and fulfil their evil god’s demands. I would stop here as I would like to think you get the gist.
So, what is the solution?
I often chuckle inside (not in a good way) and cringe when I hear western thinkers, charity workers and policy imposers speak of punishing the perpetrator and/or people with jail sentence and advocating for government policy. Whilst I don’t disagree with the suggestion, I for one know that most African’s if not the 90% of policies that are written are not followed judiciously. You can interview 100 people on the street and will be lucky to find someone that know one policy or two policy of their country off hand, especially what to do if the law or policy is broken. Now let's talk about the elect. The issue is that the elects are also brought up with these values and believes. Then bring the police into it. I laugh because in every African court and if not all police issue, it can be settled with money. Where justice prevails is in those that have the money to invest. Therefore, I ask, who will be funding the bills.
Whilst I believe policy is important, I would rather advocate for the practice of educating the masses on these issues, using practice evidence to change their believe. Reporting it good as it sheds the light on the issue, but the people are often left the same if not for one or few rescued by a Samaritan like the woman in the first video. Charities and organisations designed to protect these children are heavily policed, not in a good way but in a way that undermined the service to cover up evil. They are equally gravely underfunded that is they continue to require funds after being set us and unable to suffice support victims or help them fight for justice. In some situations, staffs are owed months salaries.
Whilst I understand that they are many challenges, I believe that a good positive start is to educate the communities or people involved, especially the parents or other family members. Give them the financial tools, mental and Jesus Christ centred spiritual support required to be able to withstand the pressure that will come from others from not conforming to practice. Finally having a medical and psychological professionals supporting these people will be of great benefit as they have another person to seek support apart from the church, native doctors and prophets.
Another solution which comes from my experience after reflecting it to be very curious to find out more when someone or a child is accused of witchcraft. Challenge rules by your action and let your own findings lead you. I am still friend with my friend today because I didn’t demonise her or segregate her when the issues came about rather, I sought for the person I found in her and not the evil other associated her with. This brings to close my solutions. just like Jesus look for the person in all these, see the child from the evil in him or her or that which the person is being accused. Offer hope and love by drawing close and helping them however you can as we will or may never know that the accusation to be true or not. BUT PLEASE NEVER ASSOCIATE OR EVER AGREE TO KILLING OF ANY CHILD IN THIS MATTER.
Until next time, remain in the love and peace God give and may he grant you knowledge, wisdom and understanding into issues of spiritual matter.
Take care
Ogechi (aka TALKINSEN)
speaking and reflecting on spiritual truth and advocating for the protection of lives of children in Africa accuses of witchcraft and mistreated for this purpose.
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